These days everyone’s an ‘implantologist’
without there being an implant specialty in dentistry. While there are multiple disciplines of
dentistry involved in the placement of implants, the general dentist is at the
bottom end of the scale for expertise, training and experience. Yet in
order to generate extra income general dentists press the envelope of ethics by
calling themselves ‘implantologists’ or implant specialists. Granted
they all have undergraduate degrees with either a BA or BS and at least four
years of dental school with either a DDS or a DMD as the result and by law are
allowed to place and/or restore implants, not one of them has an American
Dental Association (ADA) recognized ‘implant specialty’ in dentistry. Those dentists who choose to make the claim do
so by virtue of deciding to focus on implants in their general practices. The ADA
only has nine recognized post dental degree specialties and implant dentistry
is not one of them. These specialties range
in one to six years of advanced training beyond dental school. At the end of their post doctorate dental degree,
these dentists receive additional certifications in their respective specialties.
Of the ADA specialties only three truly
have special post doctorate training in implants and they are:
Oral Surgeons, Periodontists, and the least
known, Prosthodontists (who generally orchestrate the placement and final
restoration of the implant).[1]
Prosthodontics: (derived
from the word prosthesis) A Prosthodontist has a dental specialty
degree pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and
maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients
with clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth and/or oral
and maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes. Most general
dentists take short continuing education courses combined with trial and error
experience to understand how size, shape, color and symmetry all work together to
create what a prosthodontist is trained to do in an ADA approved university
setting. Contrary to this hit or miss approach, the
prosthodontist is trained to create the smile that implements the use of veneers, crowns, bridges and the
increasingly more common procedure of dental implants
to ensure that the right smile is achieved, both functionally and aesthetically. If anyone has a specialty in implant
dentistry or the right to call themselves an ‘implantologist’, it would be the
ADA sanctioned prosthodontist. Of the
170 thousand dentists in the U.S., less than two (2%) percent are trained
prosthodontists. So when you are
seriously looking for a cosmetic dentist to provide you with the best implant
result, look for a prosthodontist.
Dr. Scheinfeld received her prosthodontics degree from Emory
University School of Dentistry in 1988.
Her prosthodontics’ instructor, Dr. E. Neal Kopp practiced with her for
14 years until his death in 2008. In
addition, Dr. Sidney Tourial, an adjunct Emory Prosthodontic professor and this
year’s GDA President, has been in the practice for over 20 years. For in-house placement we use Dr. William
Zinney, a periodontic graduate of Emory University.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
www.rightsmilecenter.com
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
www.rightsmilecenter.com
Related
articles
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in Sandy Springs - A Prosthodontist is your ADA cosmetic dentist. (therightsmile.wordpress.com)
- Dentist
Sandy Springs - ADA Accredited Prosthodontist is Your Cosmetic Dentist
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future of Implant Dentistry is here now.
(therightsmile.wordpress.com)
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